Mooching in-laws order luxurious meals expecting everyone to 'split the bill evenly', earning a free serving of petty revenge at the next birthday dinner: 'Never splitting the bill again'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Apr 27, 2024 8:00 PM EDT

When you're with a big group at a restaurant it seems like the moment everyone decides to 'split the bill evenly', the group is divided into two camps. Half of the group insists on being frugal and ordering responsibly, while the other half of the group acts like wild banshee children racing through a candy store with a $100 bill. 

The married couple in our next story seemed to get stuck with the latter every time they went out for a birthday dinner. Somehow, it seemed like every time a family member had a birthday, they'd all go out to the restaurant to order insufferable amounts of food, drinks, and whatever appetizers seemed exotic. And after paying more than their fair share for every birthday meal, this couple was anxious to get to their own birthday dinner so that they could enjoy a night for free. 

Well, apparently once their birthday rolled along, the mooching in-laws decided to break tradition, earning themselves a hefty slice of petty revenge. Scroll for the entire story that'll surely make you rethink that second lava cake the next time you go out to eat at a restaurant. 

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  • 01
    "We were once asked to pay $60 when all we ordered was a $15 meal and water"
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  • 02
    r/pettyrevenge Posted by u/concert-confetti B Never Splitting the Check Again! ☺ I've been with my husband nearly 6 years and married for almost 3. Our entire relationship family birthday dinners with my in laws have always been a mess! They
    via concert-confetti
  • 03
    never decide where to go or what time until the very last minute sometimes they even change the location or time day of so even reservations can become useless because you need most of the party present. People are typically late (not 15-20 minutes sometimes even an hour) and thus have others waiting to start eating.
    via concert-confetti
  • 04
    But the most painful part of these events has always been paying for the check at the end of the meal. Typically what would happen is everyone splits the check in whatever way so the birthday human doesn't
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  • 05
    have to pay for their meal. No one ever says hey everyone we're splitting the check evenly no matter what or pay for yourself and a little extra for the birthday person, nothing just left to figure it out at the end of the night.
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  • 06
    They'll offer to share I think in hopes that it makes it more attractive to share the bill. We were once asked to pay $60 each on an approximately $300 bill when all we ordered was two $15 meals and water while everyone else went ham and bought whatever they wanted plus alcohol.
    via concert-confetti
  • 07
    When they asked what we were doing birthday dinner wise for my husband and I we picked a restaurant and it was a great meal my husband ordered a couple of appetizers to share with the table which everyone partook in. When the bill came my
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  • 08
    BIL said, "let's see how much we pay to maybe you guys don't pay..." I was flabbergasted all of a sudden it was we will see and not automatic...we ended up paying our entire bill including apps and drinks. I was really upset because time and time we have paid more than our fair share but when it was our turn no one was willing to follow "tradition".
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  • 09
    When my sister in laws birthday dinner came along we decided to only pay what we ordered and let them figure out the rest. My in laws were not only ordering alcohol and meals but also a bottle of sparkling water which I have never seen them do in the years I've known them!
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  • 10
    We took the tablet when we were done eating and chatting, paid for our meals plus tip & left. I'm so glad we've decided that's how we will handle these dinners from now on. So much annoying stress removed.
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  • 11
    2Loves2loves 17 hr. ago Tell the server, separate our order from the rest of the table. This is also why mandatory tips on large parties are done.
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  • 12
    CthulhusQueen 16 hr. ago To me, as a server, when I hear split checks I ask who is on what check or if all is individual. I'm a freak of nature and will most def give a table of twenty all separate checks if that's what they want. I ask at the beginning for large parties. No one ever gets charged more than they should on my watch.
    via CthulhusQueen
  • 13
    BiffBanter 16 hr. ago "and thus have others waiting to start eating." No you don't. They will never learn that way. Tell everyone when you will start eating, and then start eating at that time.
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  • 14
    RNGinx3 16 hr. ago Too often "splitting the bill" seems to mean one party goes ham and the others just order reasonably, and the reasonable people get screwed repeatedly. Pass! If they can't afford it, they shouldn't order it.
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  • 15
    concert-confetti OP 16 hr. ago That's been my whole thing! Why order what you can't afford? I think what bothered me is that for all their birthdays that's how it worked but for ours they decided to play coy all of a sudden
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  • 16
    Knitsanity 17 hr. ago Amen. I learned years ago to bring a variety of smallish bills to group dinners. I add up what I have spent....add tax and a decent tip and put that down on the table and everyone else can work out how to pay for their own cocktails and wine and steak. I don't eat meat and don't drink. Nope.
    via Knitsanity
  • 17
    Diligent-Syllabub898 16 hr. ago Let the server know you and your spouse will have separate checks from the rest of the party.
    via Diligent-Syllabub898
  • 18
    simmmmerdownnow 15 hr. ago This!! I always say this the moment I order. I don't care what anyone else wants to do. I'm letting the server know that my wife and I are on one check.
    via simmmmerdownnow
  • 19
    PurplePufferPea - 16 hr. ago I feel like this story ends too soon. I want to hear what happened after the family tried to leave without paying the rest of the bill because they assumed you had covered it! Good on you for putting and end to it!
    via cPurplePufferPea
  • 20
    concert-confetti OP 16 hr. ago We haven't heard a peep since then! They're always being cheap about things...like for a birthday dinner for my husband one year in which we bought the food my BIL brought an
    via concert-confetti
  • 21
    open half done box of hard seltzers but took some leftovers home. For my birthday that year I asked for a cupcake cake and please no chocolate I got a small chocolate cake because my SIL waited until before she arrived to get it.
    via concert-confetti
  • 22
    CoderJoe1 17 hr. ago I hate splitting the bill. I got invited to an impromptu work dinner. I had already eaten before the meal so I only had a soda and wound up paying $50 for my share of the split. Never again!
    via CoderJoe1
  • 23
    arkham-razors 17 hr. ago Same nightmare with my in-laws. Come late, over-analyze the check. Part of life. You can't fix this. 109 Reply Share WitchesCotillion 15 hr. ago Yes you can fix it. OP did by setting boundaries and paying separately.
    via arkham-razors

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